'Consumer courts cannot entertain telecom disputes'

The judgement has come as a much awaited relief to telecom operators which are being dragged to consumer courts for deficiency in services.

It said that Section 7-B of the Telegraph Act provided for appointment of an arbitrator by the Central government specifically for determination of the disputes and the award of the arbitrator should not be questioned in any court.

According to the court, the provisions of the Telegraph Act would prevail over a general law like Consumer Protection Act.
Allowing a BSNL appeal, the Supreme Court set aside the impugned judgment of the Kerala High Court that had dismissed the PSU’s appeal questioning the consumer court’s jurisdiction to entertain telecom disputes.